Archive for the 'Eddie Izzard' Tag Under 'Soundcheck' Category

Overheard Saturday night in the men's room near the main gate at Gibson Amphitheatre:

“That midget was hilarious,” said one 20-something.

“Yeah, man – way funnier than that British dude,” said another.

Back to the first, letting out a groan: “That was like sitting through history class.”

Poor Eddie Izzard. I know comedians of his caliber – or that of the other exceedingly funny guys in the mix for Kevin & Bean's fourth annual April Foolishness charity cavalcade at the Universal CityWalk venue – are supposed to be accustomed to rough nights and tough crowds.

KROQ revealed details first thing this morning: Eddie Izzard, Bob Saget and (no joke) Larry King -- yes, that Larry King -- are among the comedians slated to make their debut appearances at Kevin & Bean's April Foolishness. Now in its fourth year, the modern rock radio station's Weenie Roast of funny returns to Gibson Amphitheatre on April 7.

Izzard, the 50-year-old English star who last summer became the first stand-up comic to headline the Hollywood Bowl, isn't the only import on the bill: Australian jokers Jim Jefferies and Tim Minchin also will perform. Also, after three years of somewhat repeated lineups, this one is almost entirely new; Jay Mohr is the event's only veteran act.

King, the renowned talk-show host who retired from his CNN post at the end of 2010, staged a one-man, autobiographical show last year (Larry King: Standing Up) under the guidance of Kids in the Hall creative director Jim Millan. He'll bring some of that to April Foolishness, though how it will go over with the typically tough crowds this fest attracts is anyone's guess.

Even some of the sharpest wits in the game have bombed at this big-scale gig, as Sarah Silverman and Aziz Ansari did two years ago. Time slots, choice or challenging, can be determining factors, but more crucial is a comic's mental flexibility and how he feeds off the room's energy. Given how the turnout typically skews young, that could prove tricky not just for King but even seasoned comedians like Izzard and Saget.

Also expected to make attempts at knocking 'em dead are Last Comic Standing champ Felipe Esparza, frequent Kevin & Bean morning-show visitor Eddie Ifft, and O.C. native Brad Williams, best known for his turns on Comedy Central's Mind of Mencia.

In September 1980, little more than a year after helping stir up a blasphemous furor with Life of Brian, John Cleese thrice walked through the aisles at the Hollywood Bowl, shouting out like a beleaguered vendor saddled with an unsalable, inedible product: “Albatross! Albatross!”

Much too silly, as Graham Chapman's colonel character used to say, but also another of many unforgettable moments from Monty Python lore – and one that self-professed Flying Circus fanatic Eddie Izzard, an honorary Python if ever there was one, must have replayed countless times.

So Wednesday night, as the English wit and wide-ranging actor from TV (The Riches), movies (Ocean's Twelve, Valkyrie, most recently Cars 2) and theater (an acclaimed 2003 turn in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg) emerged to deliver his Stripped show, it was only fitting that he would first indulge his own, more spontaneous bit of in-the-crowd encounter.

First Izzard leisurely strolled along the catwalk perimeter enclosing the pit seats: “Hollywood Bowl!” he declared. “This is very sexy.”

“What one could do,” he mused, “is just run to the back …” And with that he leaped into the garden section and raced to the top of the amphitheater, slapping fans' hands along the way, until he was so far from the stage that cameramen had trouble finding him. “This looks kind of amazing,” he said from on high, “… and this was not necessarily a good idea.”

Several of the holes in the Hollywood Bowl summer schedule have been filled in faster than expected -- most notably by Emmy-winning English comedian Eddie Izzard's debut at the historical venue, billed as the first-ever all-comedy presentation at the Bowl.

Wait, so ... Monty Python's appearance there in the early '80s doesn't count? Because there was some singing involved? In any case, Izzard's biggest Southern California appearance by far, a show dubbed Stripped to the Bowl, takes place July 20.

KCRW's annual World Festival has gained another triple-bill -- the series is set to conclude Sept. 11 with sets from the National, Neko Case and Brooklyn newcomer Sharon Van Etten (check her out solo March 26 at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa).

At the other end of the pop spectrum, the Totally '80s Hollywood Bowl package returns Sept. 2, this time featuring the Human League, the B-52's, the Fixx and Berlin, whose vocalist Teri Nunn will also serve as host.

Meanwhile, several previously announced programs have gained performers ...